00:00Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Shop Essence Live.
00:05I am your host, Stephanie Donovan, and I'm so excited to bring you this next founder.
00:10She has, not only are her products amazing, she has an incredible cause that's behind
00:15it that you can help every time you make a purchase.
00:19We love purchasing with a purpose here at Shop Essence Live, and right now I'm going
00:24to introduce you guys to Maya Spivey.
00:26What's up, girl?
00:27Hey, Stephanie.
00:28Thank you so much for having me.
00:31Oh, my gosh.
00:32Well, welcome, welcome.
00:33I cannot wait to get into your products, but I just have to know about how you came up
00:39with this incredible brand with this incredible mission.
00:42Yes.
00:43So, actually, we are a family-owned business, and so we're partnered with a nonprofit organization
00:49called Ripple Effects, which is what the R and E stand for in our name.
00:53And so growing up, my parents are actually the founders of that nonprofit, so seeing
00:57the incredible work they were doing and how they were really helping people, but funding
01:01was always an issue.
01:03And so during the pandemic, they had just launched another center overseas, and so funding,
01:08again, was an issue.
01:09And so my senior year of college, we talked and we came up with the idea of starting a
01:15candle business to help fund all of the amazing work that we're doing.
01:19And so from then, we've just been running with it and creating these amazing candles.
01:24But the best part is that with every purchase, somebody is being helped, so it's a gift that
01:29gives back.
01:30And so our mission is scholarships for disadvantaged youth, job creation for women, and supporting
01:35global food security initiatives with every candle purchase.
01:41My goodness.
01:42And I love a good family business.
01:44Essence is a family business as well, so it's really, really important.
01:49And you kind of took it and you saw the parents' mission, and you're like, okay, we're going
01:54to make this work, and we're going to make some money with it, too.
01:56I love that.
01:57So now it's time for Show and Tell.
02:00You want to talk about the different candles that you have and how they are made?
02:04What's the first one you want to show off today?
02:05Yeah, so of course, I think we should just go ahead and start with one of our best sellers,
02:09the one that you love the most, Stephanie, our Lemon Meringue Candle.
02:12Let me tell you.
02:14Yes, all of our candles are created using all natural soy wax and a cotton-lead-free
02:19wig, which just ensures a long and clean-burning candle with a long-lasting scent, which is
02:23what's really important to all of my candle lovers out there.
02:27And so what's really fun about that candle is that it kind of looks like a dessert.
02:31So our candle creations take on kind of the unique appearance of different foods.
02:36But it may look good enough to eat, but we assure you that it is all candle wax and 100%
02:42safe to burn.
02:43We actually have over-
02:44Don't be eating this candle.
02:45It smells so expensive, but please.
02:46It's a nice lemon scent with a little bit of vanilla, nice citrus blend in there.
02:53It kind of reminds you of a sweet lemon dessert.
02:55That's our Lemon Meringue Candle.
02:57And so we actually-
02:58It's so fragrant.
02:59I feel like I don't even have to light it to enjoy it.
03:02Like I just open it and get-
03:04Just take the lid off and just sit in there.
03:06The scent will still fill the room.
03:08Yes.
03:09But it smells even better when you burn it, though.
03:12Okay.
03:13I don't know if I'm going to get to burn in this, but yeah, this is absolutely beautiful.
03:16And then you have the little lemon in there and it has the whip.
03:20Why did you make the decision to have soy candles and why was that important?
03:25Can you talk about that?
03:26Absolutely.
03:27So I am a big tree hugger.
03:30I love the earth.
03:31I want to save it and I want to do everything we can to just keep everything as natural
03:36as possible.
03:37And so soy wax is great.
03:39It's an all natural wax.
03:41And so it just ensures a cleaner burn when you do light your candle.
03:45And so all of our candles are made with soy wax.
03:48Even the tops that kind of look like food, it's all soy wax.
03:52And so that's really exciting that it's a very unique candle that you can enjoy burning.
03:58You can enjoy just looking at it on your desk, you can enjoy burning it.
04:01So many different ways to enjoy these candles.
04:04So good.
04:05So good.
04:06All right.
04:07So that was a lemon meringue.
04:09What's the next one that you want to highlight?
04:12The Peace and Prosperity.
04:13Another one of our best sellers.
04:15That one has a nice calming lavender scent.
04:19I love lavender.
04:21Very pretty color with that nice purple, a nice marble look.
04:25That's another one of our best sellers.
04:26It's a nice calm, kind of like aromatherapy candle.
04:30And so we actually have over 50 different candles on our website.
04:34So this is just a little bit of a variety that we're showing today.
04:38We have candles for any occasion from holidays to just small special gifts that you might
04:44want to give somebody to our candle creations.
04:47We have such a large variety, but one of the things that is personally my favorite about
04:53our candles is that our story is on each candle.
04:58And so it's a great way for customers to just understand the value that they're providing
05:03when they do choose Be Like Candle RE.
05:06And so it just has our story and what we're working to do as well as on our lid.
05:11So every time you pick up that candle, you may see a really cute and unique candle.
05:17But on the other side of that, you're helping us create jobs.
05:20You're putting food on the tables for families in need.
05:23You're providing scholarships for students that desire to further their education, but
05:27they just don't have the means.
05:29And so it's so much deeper than just a candle.
05:32And so we have the unique look to really get you to pick it up.
05:36But once you pick it up, you'll see the value that this product has and how you can be a
05:42part of this journey and this mission of changing the world through something as simple as a
05:46candle.
05:47That is so great.
05:49And you know, we all have somebody in our lives where we're trying to buy them a gift
05:54and it's like, they got everything.
05:55Like, I don't know what to give them, but giving them something like this, that not
06:00only is just, it's beautiful, it smells amazing, but then you have this whole other story about
06:07how this purchase went to all these incredible causes.
06:11It makes for an incredible gift as well.
06:13Absolutely.
06:14It's a gift that keeps on giving.
06:17And so we always invite people to check out our social media because on our social media,
06:21we do a lot of behind the scenes of the, of course the candle making, but even our missions
06:26work and you're able to see the people that are actually being helped because these are
06:31real faces.
06:32These are real people that are being helped through these candles.
06:35And so we really want people to join in on this journey.
06:38We want you to feel a part of the amazing work that we're all doing because we're doing
06:43this together and through something as simple as buying a candle, it really is a gift that
06:49just keeps on giving.
06:51It's, I mean, you literally coined that phrase now because that's the truth.
06:57I have one more on my side.
06:59Yes, that's perfect.
07:01Our endless love candle, which is perfect with Valentine's day coming up.
07:06It's very cute.
07:07It's a nice feminine scent.
07:08So for the ladies out there, if you want to get it for yourself, if you want to send the
07:12link to your man to get it for you, you know, it's very, very pretty.
07:18It's got the hearts on top.
07:20So get it this week for Valentine's day, which is coming up.
07:22And the best part is when you're seeing this video, we have a discount code for 15% off
07:28on our website with the code essence.
07:31So if you go to our website, you can find our endless love candle, peace and prosperity,
07:35lemon rain, as well as so many others, and you can get a discount as well.
07:43I love it.
07:44And can you repeat that deadline one more time?
07:46Yes.
07:47Through Valentine's day.
07:48So ladies apply a little pressure, go ahead and send that link to him if you need to,
07:52or just go ahead and get it yourself.
07:54But Valentine's day, that link, that discount code will expire.
07:58So you want to go ahead and get it.
08:00So so good.
08:01And just repeat for everyone.
08:03You said you had how many, how many?
08:07We have over 50 different candles.
08:09So any occasion that you could think of, we have a candle for it.
08:14So if you're ever in need of a gift, you don't know what to give, go to be like candle RE
08:20and just browse.
08:21And I promise you will find a candle for that occasion.
08:24Love, love, love it.
08:26Okay.
08:27So Maya, this is in partnership with a new voices family.
08:30I'd love to hear from you how it's been being a part of that amazing community.
08:35It's been great.
08:36I just love being in spaces with other like minded entrepreneurs that are all striving
08:41for growth and all want to see their business grow.
08:44And we're just able to feed off of each other's energy and the one on ones with the mentors
08:49have been phenomenal.
08:50But even in our sessions, when someone may have an issue, there's other business owners
08:55that have gone through something similar.
08:57So they're able to chime in and offer some recommendations or advice, which is just great
09:03having that community of women and also men as well that can just feed off of each other.
09:08And it's never a competition.
09:10We all want to see each other win.
09:11And I absolutely love that.
09:14That is so, that's such a great point.
09:17And something that I hear often as I've interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs, sometimes when
09:22you're on this journey, it could feel really lonely.
09:25Like you're on a lonely island trying to do all these things, but to be able to be a part
09:30of a community where you're like looking to the left and you have Melissa Butler, Lip
09:35Bar and Pinky Cool Slutty Vegan to all of these different brands that have achieved
09:41such amazing great heights.
09:43And they are not shy about sharing words of wisdom and helping the next one, sending the
09:47elevator back down for those that are starting out.
09:51So I would tell you if you are watching this and you have a business, no matter what stage
09:56there is something for you, go to newvoicesfamily.com.
10:00There are tons of resources that are available.
10:03It is free to join.
10:04You just fill out a business profile and I could be talking to you.
10:08You never know.
10:09Shoot.
10:10It's been so, so amazing to have you on the show, Maya.
10:14You guys definitely go and check it out once again.
10:17This discount code just for us, y'all, shop with us.
10:21Yes.
10:2215% off only through Valentine's day.
10:25So you might be looking at February 10th.
10:27You better get on it.
10:28You better get on it.
10:29Maya, it's been so great to have you on.
10:33You guys make sure you tune in week over week.
10:35We have two new black owned businesses here for you to shop directly at shopessence.com.
10:42I mean, I'm at shopessencelive in partnership with New Voices Family.
10:46Thank you so much, Maya, for coming.
10:48Thank you so much for having me, Stephanie.
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